The Nashville Predators and Toronto Maple Leafs meet Tuesday, October 6, in a matchup where the most interesting fantasy hockey questions go well beyond the final score. Toronto has scored only six goals through three games, Nashville has only three through two, and both teams are still sorting through important offensive combinations. Yet there are enough high-end fantasy pieces here: Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Kirill Marchenko, Filip Forsberg, Steven Stamkos and Roman Josi to make this much more interesting than those early scoring totals suggest.
The biggest thing I’m watching is Toronto’s second line. Gavin McKenna remains alongside John Tavares and Nylander despite opening his NHL career without a point through three games. That trio has been outscored 3-0 and badly out-chanced in high-danger opportunities, but coach Jim Hiller is keeping it together for another look. For fantasy managers, that patience could create a breakout opportunity if McKenna and Nylander finally turn their offensive-zone time into production.
Nashville brings its own intriguing fantasy angle. The Predators scored both goals on the power play in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Dallas, with Stamkos and Nils Hoglander converting. Nashville’s top unit gives Stamkos, Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly and Josi premium fantasy exposure against a Toronto team still trying to find its rhythm.
Nashville Predators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Game Information
The NHL and Predators confirm the 7 p.m. ET start at Scotiabank Arena. Nashville’s official listing has Scripps/The Spot and PredsTV in-market plus ESPN+ out-of-market, while TSN4 is listed for Toronto’s Canadian television coverage.
Nashville Predators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Fantasy Hockey Matchup Outlook
Toronto enters at 1-2-0 with six goals scored and seven allowed. Nashville is 1-1-0 with three goals scored and four allowed. The Leafs are averaging 2.00 goals per game while allowing 2.33; Nashville is at 1.50 scored and 2.00 allowed. Those numbers look defensive, but two or three games are nowhere near enough to establish a reliable scoring profile.
Special teams provide the first real fantasy separator. Nashville has converted 28.6 percent of its power-play chances through two games, while Toronto is at 18.2 percent. The Leafs’ penalty kill has opened 10-for-10, while Nashville sits at 80 percent. The sample is tiny, but Nashville’s PP1 deployment gives Forsberg, Stamkos, O’Reilly and Josi an attractive route to fantasy production even if five-on-five scoring remains limited.
Toronto has played all three games at Scotiabank Arena and is 1-2-0 there. Nashville is making its first road appearance. Historically, Toronto has had the better recent result in this building: Nashville has lost its past five visits to Scotiabank Arena. Last season’s series was much more offensive, with Toronto winning 7-4 at home before Nashville answered with a 5-3 victory in December.
NHL Fantasy Players to Watch in Nashville Predators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
My highest-upside Toronto play remains Matthews. He has only one goal through three games, but he is averaging more than 21 minutes per game and is skating with Marchenko and Jack Roslovic. Marchenko has already produced a goal and an assist since joining Toronto and also holds a PP1 role with Matthews, Nylander, Tavares and Darren Raddysh. That combination of first-line and first-unit exposure is exactly what fantasy managers should want.
Nylander has two goals and three points through three games, tying Easton Cowan and Morgan Rielly for the team lead in points. The concern is his five-on-five line. McKenna, Tavares and Nylander have been outscored 3-0 together and have generated just one high-danger chance compared with 11 against. I still like Nylander’s individual fantasy profile because he can create offence without his line dominating possession, but that trio is the biggest deployment story in this game.
McKenna is the high-risk, high-interest fantasy player. He has no points through three games, but Toronto is still giving him second-line minutes and PP2 exposure. I would not treat him as a must-start player yet, but I absolutely want to monitor whether his offensive-zone usage finally produces his first NHL point.
Nashville’s most dependable fantasy combination is the veteran group. Stamkos and Josi each have two points, while Forsberg and O’Reilly have one apiece. Nashville’s PP1 currently features Stamkos, O’Reilly, Matthew Wood, Forsberg and Josi. That concentrates a lot of the team’s best fantasy upside on one unit.
In goal, Juuse Saros is 1-1-0 with a .933 save percentage through two starts, while Sergei Bobrovsky is 0-2-0 with an .887 save percentage. Current matchup listings point toward Saros and Bobrovsky, but I would still confirm the official starters close to puck drop before locking a fantasy goalie decision.
NHLTradeRumor.com Fantasy Matchup Projection
Nashville Predators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Top Five Nashville Predators and Toronto Maple Leafs Fantasy Scorers From 2025-26
Because we are only two or three games into the new season, last year’s scoring totals provide a much better baseline than the current leaderboard. Nashville was led by Forsberg’s 75 points, followed closely by O’Reilly with 74. Toronto’s leader was Nylander at 79 points, ahead of Tavares at 71. Matthew Knies ranked third for Toronto with 66 before being traded to Columbus before this season, so his bar is included as historical context rather than a current Leafs projection.
Nashville — 2025-26
Toronto — 2025-26
Injuries and Absences That Could Affect Fantasy Value
Toronto’s most significant absences are Max Domi and Dakota Joshua, who are on long-term injured reserve. PuckPedia also lists Elvis Merzlikins out with a shoulder injury. Those absences help solidify Toronto’s current forward structure and keep players such as Cowan, Nick Paul and McKenna in meaningful roles. Cowan has taken advantage early with three points through three games.
McKenna’s opportunity is especially important. With Domi unavailable, Toronto has less incentive to shuffle a skilled veteran into that second-line spot immediately. If McKenna begins converting his offensive-zone usage, his fantasy stock could move quickly.
For Nashville, backup Justus Annunen is day-to-day with an undisclosed issue, although he practiced Monday. That increases Saros’ short-term importance if Annunen cannot dress. From a fantasy perspective, Saros remains the Nashville goaltender I would prioritize regardless, but his workload becomes even more secure if the Predators are limited behind him.
Nashville Predators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Salary-Cap Snapshot
Nashville Predators
Toronto Maple Leafs
We currently list Nashville with $10.49 million in projected cap space and Toronto at negative $4.69 million in projected cap space. Toronto also carries an $11.69 million LTIR pool. This does not predict tonight’s result, but Nashville’s flexibility could make future recalls, waiver decisions and roster adjustments easier, while Toronto has less room to manoeuvre without additional cap management.
Nashville Predators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Fantasy Hockey Prediction
MY SCORE PREDICTION: Nashville Predators 2 – Toronto Maple Leafs 4
I’m taking Toronto because I see more individual scoring upside in the Leafs’ top six, especially at home. Matthews has generated 10 shots through three games despite having only one goal, Nylander already has two goals, and Marchenko gives the Matthews line another legitimate finishing option. Toronto’s offence has not broken through yet, but the opportunities and talent make me more comfortable projecting a step forward than assuming two goals per game is its true level.
Nashville can make this uncomfortable. Saros has been excellent early, and the Predators’ power play is the clearest path to beating Toronto. If Josi, Stamkos and Forsberg get multiple man-advantage opportunities, Nashville can absolutely outperform my two-goal projection.
My fantasy advantage still goes to Toronto. Matthews and Nylander carry the best multi-point ceilings in the matchup, while Marchenko’s PP1 role makes him especially interesting. Nashville’s best fantasy route is more concentrated: Forsberg, Stamkos, O’Reilly and Josi on PP1.
The development that matters most to fantasy managers may not be the final score at all. I want to see whether Hiller keeps McKenna with Tavares and Nylander for the full night and whether that line finally generates dangerous five-on-five offence. If McKenna gets his first NHL point while maintaining PP2 deployment and second-line usage, his fantasy outlook becomes much more interesting immediately.
How to Watch Nashville Predators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Predators and Maple Leafs play Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. ET, 6:00 p.m. CT and 5:00 p.m. MT at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. TSN4 is listed for Canadian television coverage. Sportsnet’s streaming schedule also currently surfaces Nashville-Toronto, so Canadian viewers should verify Sportsnet+ availability in their region before puck drop.
In the United States, Nashville’s official game-day information lists The Spot/Scripps in the Predators’ local television territory, PredsTV for eligible in-market streaming and ESPN+ out-of-market. Nashville radio is available on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network. Toronto Maple Leafs radio broadcasts are carried on Sportsnet 590 and TSN radio during the season. Regional blackouts simply mean a streaming service may restrict a game when a local broadcaster owns the rights in your area, so check your provider shortly before the game.
For more coverage, check NHLTradeRumor.com for the Nashville Predators TV schedule and Toronto Maple Leafs TV schedule, along with our latest NHL point leaders for the 2026-27 season. While you’re here, join our NHL Fantasy Hockey Pool to test your GM skills against other hockey fans and compete for ultimate bragging rights.
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